Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service has been established recently in the U.S. DBS provides television programming, movies and other video and audio services to users nationwide without requiring connection to a cable service. In addition to subscribing to a DBS service, such as DirecTV.RTM. from Hughes, Primestar, and Echostar, receiving DBS typically involves obtaining a receiver, such as the DSS.RTM. receiver manufactured by Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc. of Indianapolis, Ind., and installing a suitable antenna system, such as the 18" reflector antenna included with the DSS.RTM. system.
One problem associated with DBS is that local broadcast services such as television programming provided by local VHF/UHF broadcast stations may not be available via a DBS service. A simple solution to this problem is to install a separate antenna assembly suitable for receiving local broadcast signals. An example of a separate antenna assembly suitable for receiving local broadcast signals is the Freedom Antenna.RTM. manufactured by Antennas America, Inc. The Freedom Antenna.RTM. conforms to the back of a dish-shaped DBS antenna and is installed using the hardware associated with the dish reflector. However, adding another antenna assembly to a DBS system to receive local broadcast signals undesirably requires additional equipment, additional installation effort, and added cost.
Even if a second antenna assembly such as the Freedom Antenna.RTM. is used, broadcast signal reception from the second antenna assembly may be poor. Specifically, because a DBS antenna is typically fixed in a position that aims at a particular satellite location, a second antenna assembly mounted with the DBS antenna also has a fixed position. The fixed position, or orientation, of the second antenna assembly with respect to the broadcast signal source may not provide optimum broadcast signal reception.
Therefore, a need exists for an antenna arrangement that provides acceptable reception of both DBS and local broadcast signals.